FAR BROOK SCHOOL 2 0 1 7 – 2 0 1 8 REPORT ON PHILANTHROPY
CELEBRATING 70 YEARS
1948-2018
STATEMENT OF PURPOSE Our purpose is to create a supportive and caring community that cherishes love of learning, creativity, and individuality, and that provides teachers and students with both support and freedom to take risks in order to reach their full potential. Implicit in our philosophy is the goal of bringing students to their highest level of academic and personal competency, both for their present and in preparation for their future education. In addition, we share a much larger purpose. We see Far Brook’s mission as a desire to use and to adapt the principles of progressive education and its philosophy of pragmatism for a changing world, and while valuing academic excellence and respect for nature, to instill a creative response to learning with great art, drama, music, and literature as models. Our approach to education demands that both students and teachers be active participants in a reciprocal learning experience. We recognize the role of metaphor, ritual, and tradition in children’s lives and the power of the arts in the learning process. Our curriculum is unified by interdisciplinary studies of thematic units and great historical eras, which allow children to relate themselves to the universe and to the history of mankind. A Far Brook education takes place in an environment of natural beauty and intimacy, where character and citizenship are valued as much as achievement, process as much as product. It is our desire to touch the lives of children so they may live life wisely and with great joy.
Dear Members of the Far Brook Community, The 2017- 2018 year was a milestone year as Far Brook celebrated its 70th Anniversary. This historic celebration, combined with many other accomplishments over the year, reminded us of the dedication and commitment of this unique community of current families, alumni and their families, faculty, administrators, and the most important members - our students. We are proud of our progressive roots, high academic standards, rich curriculum, extraordinary faculty, and diverse and inclusive community. Our students continue to impress us with their intellectual curiosity, kindness, collaboration, warmth, and humor. We are pleased to share Far Brook’s 2017-2018 Report on Philanthropy. 70TH ANNIVERSARY Morning Meeting: Friday, January 12, 2018, kicked off the celebrations with a special Morning Meeting, paying homage to “all of those who came before us - every faculty member, administrator, student, parent, and Trustee who has put their stamp on this School through their generosity of time, talent, and resources.”
Chamber Music and Chocolates: On Sunday, February 11, 2018, we celebrated with our first official event - Chamber Music & Chocolates, “70 Years of Music at Far Brook.” As music has been an integral part of the School since 1948, this event raised money for the Music and Instrument Fund. Introduction of School Mascot: With the assistance of the Second Grade, we revealed our new, and first ever, school mascot, the fox, in Morning Meeting on Tuesday, April 24, 2018. The students excitedly shared traits of a fox - agile, observant, mindful, adaptive many distinguishing qualities that are similar to those we believe are fundamental to the development of our students’ character. Celebration for students: A 70th Anniversary celebratory Morning Meeting for our students was held on Thursday, May 10, 2018. Buxton alumna ‘45 and current grandmother, Patra Cogan, Brad Wiley ’54, Elyse Post ’78, and Danyel Mayers ’08, all regaled us with their fond memories of the School, and of course we ended the morning with singing.
Endowment: Due to continued prudent financial oversight from the Board’s Finance Committee and the business office, the fair market value of Far Brook’s Endowment, as of June 30, 2018 was $6,738,468. This represents 11.2% growth from the June 30, 2017 total of $6,022,688.
A Far Brook Journey: Celebrating 70 Years: Under a beautiful tent on Saturday, May 10, 2018, current families, alumni, alumni parents, faculty, administrators, trustees, and friends came together to enjoy delicious international food and drink and celebrate Far Brook, record memories, visit the Museum, and shop at the School Store. Funds raised that evening supported current use Financial Aid. Philanthropic support: The Far Brook community is incredibly generous and that was evident in 2017-2018 as we raised $1,235,236, including pledge payments from our Imagine The Possibilities Campaign which ended in 2015.
Admission and Marketing: We continue to develop new Admissions strategies to be more student and family centered and personalized. A range of materials have been developed that are targeted and appeal to different age groups. Working with a market research firm to get direct feedback, and using demographics and analytics, we are utilizing data to inform our decision making. We have restructured the parent volunteer recruiting committee to be more streamlined and flexible. In the area of marketing, we have allocated more time and financial resources to digital marketing - primarily with Facebook, Instagram, and Google adwords. We continue to add morning and evening parent presentations on a variety of educational, diversity, and parenting topics including the Junior High Snapshot - an opportunity for all families to get a glimpse into the upper grades and academic experience at Far Brook.
Widening The Lens: Far Brook’s Diversity Conference: On Saturday, November 11, 2017, Far Brook hosted twelve New Jersey independent schools and together we explored the conference topic: LGBTQ+: Illuminating the Spectrum and Cultivating Pride. Participating schools worked collaboratively to understand the issues at hand, and then independently to craft an action plan for their school. A special thank you to ConnectOne Bank for their corporate partnership which allowed us to welcome New York Times Op-Ed columnist, Charles Blow. Security: Student safety and security continues to be our highest priority and requires thoughtful and constant attention. Lieutenant Rick Proctor, a local security consultant and current member of the Summit police force shared his expertise on best practices around safety protocols and drills with the Faculty and Administration. These scenarios are created to stimulate discussions, answer concerns and questions, and allow us to examine the roles, responsibilities, tasks, and overall logistics associated with managing an emergency situation.
Facilities: Ongoing maintenance of the campus and buildings is always a priority. New roofs were installed on both the Lower School and Junior High. Much of the year was spent planning for a major renovation of the Lower School. We added a new energy-efficient heating and cooling system, replaced doors, installed new flooring and walls throughout, and painted the entire interior of the building. Through a generous grant from the Hyde and Watson Foundation, we were able to upgrade the building-wide lighting system to use safer, more efficient, and eco-friendly LED lighting. In conclusion, we assure the community that the state of the School remains very strong, and we thank you for your generosity of spirit - and your dedication to this “small school of uncommon quality.” With Deepest Gratitude,
Amy Ziebarth and Head of School
Marc Schwartz Chair, Board of Trustees
FINANCIAL REPORT We are pleased to report that Far Brook School’s financial position remains strong. Below is a summary for the 2017-2018 year. Operating Revenue and Other Support
Operating Expenses
64%
Salaries and Benefits
11%
Financial Aid
84%
Tuition and Application Fees
8%
Contributions
5%
Interest and Dividend Income
3%
Other Income
5%
Administrative
5%
Buildings and Grounds
2%
Auxiliary Services and Activities
7%
Educational
6%
Depreciation
SUMMARY OF PHILANTHROPIC SUPPORT We are profoundly grateful to our community of current parents, alumni, alumni parents, trustees, grandparents, faculty and staff, and friends who continue to give thoughtfully and generously to the School. Thank you for making the extraordinary Far Brook experience possible for each and every student. Below is a summary of philanthropic support for 2017-2018.
$460,970
2017-2018 Far Brook Fund
$165,200
Current Use Financial Aid
$73,666
Total dollars raised:
$811,248
Endowment
$10,000
Imagine The Possibilities Capital Campaign payments:
Widening The Lens Diversity Conference Corporate Partnership
$423,988
$24,000
Total dollars received:
Hyde and Watson Foundation Grant for the Lower School Renovation
$77,412
Additional Gifts to the 70th Anniversary Celebration, Music and Instrument Fund, Segal Family Library, Class Gift, and Special Projects
$1,235,236
ENDOWMENT Far Brook’s Endowment totaled $6,738,468 as of June 20, 2018, representing an endowment per student of $29,045. Our Endowment provides regular income, through smart investing and prudent management, for School programs, scholarships, financial aid, faculty development, facilities, and general needs. It ensures Far Brook’s long-term security and sustainability by creating support for future ventures and sudden opportunities. A donor may add to these funds at any time.
Far Brook’s Endowment — History $6,738,468
$7,000,000
$6,022,688
$6,000,000
$5,264,847 $5,000,000
$4,317,936 $4,000,000 $3,000,000
$1,806,699
$2,000,000 $1,000,000 $0
$12,726 1980
$202,722 1990
2000
2010
2016
2017
2018
DESIGNATED ENDOWMENT FUNDS Arts Endowment Funds Kramer Art Fund Fredda S. Leff Special Projects Endowment Polly S. Niebling Drama Fund
Building Endowment Funds Milton H. Stern Endowment Fund The Ruth and Max Segal Family Library Endowment Fund
Faculty Endowment Funds The Elliott Averett Family Fund for Teacher Benefits Faculty Endowment Fund Endowment for Teacher Benefits Moore Faculty Benefit Fund
Scholarship Endowment Funds Mary Adams Scholarship for Mathematics and Science Edwin A. Finckel Scholarship for the Arts The Founding Families Scholarship Endowment Fund The George Bartol Scholarship The Hite Scholarship The James E. and Elizabeth Hughes Scholarship Endowment Fund William R. Johnson Scholarship for the Arts Barbara Jordan Endowment Scholarship The Koven Family Scholarship Marks Student Scholarships The Opportunity Scholarship Fund for Excellence The Caroline Pfohl and Damien Ho Scholarship Carol Silver Endowment for Student Scholarships
Endowment Funds
create lasting OPPORTUNITY and IMPACT...
THE WILLIAM R. JOHNSON SCHOLARSHIP FUND FOR THE ARTS The William R. Johnson Scholarship for the Arts was recently named in honor and in memory of Bill Johnson, beloved Far Brook Faculty member and Art teacher (1969-1988), and made possible by the estate of Mary Ritter, alumni parent and mother of Nina Ritter ‘75 and Maria Ritter ‘78. This scholarship provides tuition assistance for a Sixth, Seventh, or Eighth Grade student who excels in the Arts and for whom a Far Brook education would not otherwise be possible.
THE FREDDA S. LEFF SPECIAL PROJECTS ENDOWMENT The Fredda S. Leff Special Projects Endowment was named in memory of Fredda Leff, a beloved wife and mother, and long-time parent volunteer at Far Brook. Since 2006, this fund has provided our students with unique and unusual learning experiences that fall outside regularly planned curricular activities. Each one has been a wonderful hands-on opportunity. 2006 Percussion Day with Glen Fittin 2007 Dance Day with Lydia Johnson Dance 2009 Storytelling Day with Susan Danoff 2010 African Drumming and Dancing with Nii Anang 2011 Music and Nature with Glen Fittin and Mazz Swift 2012 The Cashore Marionettes 2013 David Amram – jazz musician, author, and conductor 2014 Dance Day with the Carolyn Dorfman Dance Company 2015 Fiasco Theater, an ensemble theater company, with Ben Steinfeld 2016 A Day In Clay with ceramicists Cliff Mendelson and John Watts 2017 Homespun Occasions - Square Dancing
Making A
difference NOW and into the FUTURE… EIGHTH GRADE CLASS GIFTS As families of graduating Eighth Grade students prepare to leave the School, it has become a tradition of gratitude each year for the Eighth Grade families to give a gift to Far Brook in honor of their children. Each year class parents work with the School to identify a universal need. Recent gifts have included an Eversan LED portable multi-sport scoreboard, a “tree hugger” bench – that sits around the tree as you walk up the stairs and into campus, an Elkay drinking fountain and water bottle filling station for the Gym, a reading nook bench which was built in the new Music and Arts Building, and a number of musical instruments including a metallophone and xylophone. What a wonderful way to remember each Class as our community takes advantage of these enhancements on a daily basis!
ADMISSIONS Number of Students........................ 234 (54% Boys and 46% Girls) New Students..................................... 51 Number of Families.......................... 167 New Families...................................... 32 Diversity - Students of Color............. 87 (37%) Communities...................................... 30
Secondary Schools Attended by the Class of 2018 Church Farm School Columbia High School Delbarton School Kent Place School Morristown-Beard School Newark Academy Saint Peter’s Preparatory School The Pingry School
FACULTY AND STAFF 2017-2018 ADMINISTRATION Amy Ziebarth Head of School
Greg Bartiromo Associate Director of The Far Brook Fund and Alumni Relations/Athletics Coach
Paula Levin Director of Lower School
Joan Burr Communications Coordinator
Nicole Engelke ‘88 Director of Upper School
Yolisse Carattini Development Coordinator
Michael Chodroff Associate Director of Upper School/Director of Sustainability
TECHNOLOGY Rob Andolina Director of Technology
Mikki Murphy Director of Diversity, Equity, and Community/High School Placement Advisor
OFFICE STAFF Alisha Martinez Executive Assistant/Placement Coordinator
ADMISSIONS Emi Ithen Director of Admissions and Financial Aid Kathy Ike Admissions Assistant BUSINESS OFFICE Minelly Cummings Director of Finance and Operations Janice O’Shea Accounting Manager DEVELOPMENT Suzanne Glatt Director of Development Jennifer Barba Director of Communications and Volunteers
Anne Engelkraut Nurse Gloria Monteiro Office Coordinator AFTER-SCHOOL PROGRAM Mona Boewe After-School Program Coordinator FACILITIES Melanie DuBois Kitchen Coordinator Arthur Gannon Facilities Manager
FACULTY Rosemarie Alagia French Teacher Grades 7-8 Linda Auld Learning Consultant Ashley Barnes Second Grade Teacher April Bell-Martha French Teacher Grades 4-6 Mona Boewe Fourth Grade Teacher Liz Colleran Math Teacher Grades 5-8/Math Coach Grade 4 Erin Comollo First Grade Teacher Deborah Costa Educational Technology Specialist/ Enrichment Math Grades 2-3 Jaimee Cowen Fifth Grade Teacher Donna DeLorenzo Deltz Kindergarten Teacher/N-K Curriculum Coordinator William Deltz Nursery Teacher Ellen Flamm Learning Specialist Grades K-3
James Glossman Director of Drama
Danyel Mayers ’08 Nursery 3s Associate Teacher
Megan Gottlieb Second Grade Teacher
Valerie McEntee Sixth Grade Teacher
Catharina Greenberg French Teacher Grades N-3
Nancy McIntyre Art Teacher Grades N-6
Jennifer Haakmat Learning Specialist Grades 4-6
Milan Milinkovic Orchestra Teacher
Kate Hewitt Librarian/English Teacher Grade 7
Haruka Mori Fourth Grade Teacher
Jessica Howe First Grade Teacher
Nancy Muniz Director of Athletics/Physical Education Teacher/Upper School Athletics Coach
Mark Kaczmarczyk Director of Music Lauren Kronthal ’04 Science Specialist Grades N-8/Science Teacher Grades 7-8 Stephanie Lewis Sixth Grade Teaching Fellow/Assistant Coach Katharine Marantz Associate Teacher Grades 2-3 Jennifer Martin Nursery Associate Teacher Megan Martin Third Grade Teacher
Christopher Murphy Woodshop Teacher/STEAM Camp Coordinator Tori Murphy ’09 Kindergarten Associate Teacher Roberto Olazagasti Math Teacher Grades 5-8/Art Teacher Grades 7-8 Missy Perry Third Grade Teacher Karen Rothenberg Nursery 3s Teacher Jennifer Semioli Physical Education Teacher/Upper School Athletics Coach
Edward Solecki History Teacher Grades 7-8/English Teacher Grade 8 Marnie Stetson Literacy Specialist Grades 4-8 Nina Sze Math Teacher Grades 5-8 Nealy Troll Kindergarten Teacher JoAnn Tutino Science Teacher Grades N-4/Schoolyard Habitat Coordinator Erasmia Voukelatos Lower School Music Teacher/Recorder Teacher Grade 4 Rachel Walsh Fifth Grade Teaching Fellow Matthew Westerby Dance Teacher Alex Winkler ’06 First Grade Associate Teacher Jamie Yang Lower School Literacy Specialist
2017-2018 VOLUNTEER LEADERSHIP Board of Trustees Robert J. Kelly, Board Chair Neale Trangucci, Vice Chair Carmine Fanelle, Treasurer Michelle Swittenberg, Secretary Amy Ziebarth, Head of School Diane Bakst Christopher Burns Greg Hoffman Leah Kronthal Krissy Mannello Tanya Nicholson Miller Rob Olazagasti Elyse N. Post ‘78 Marc Schwartz Doak Sergent Tony Stovall Brad Wiley, II ’54 Amy Yin The Far Brook Fund Co-Chairs Elyse Post ‘78 Brian Saluzzo Marc Schwartz
The Far Brook Fund Ambassadors Jyoti Ananth Diedre Bradstock Katy Burns Monica Conley Brian Croshaw Danielle Davis Carolyn Elbert Tami Evans Chuck Gray Greg Hoffman Beth Jeffrey Jason Kruk Vejay Lalla Jamila Piracci John Randall Matt Stadtmauer Rebecca Wildman Repetti ’93 Amy Yin The Far Brook Fund Faculty Liaisons Kate Hewitt Valerie McEntee Parents Committee Council Chairs Katy Burns Natali Morris
52 Great Hills Road, Short Hills, New Jersey 07078 – farbrook.org